What is an accidental death benefit rider on a life insurance policy?

An accidental death benefit (ADB) rider pays an additional death benefit if death results from a covered accident rather than illness or natural causes. Most policies double the death benefit for accidental death—a feature sometimes called "double indemnity." Some policies offer triple indemnity for specific types of accidents.

Covered accidents are defined narrowly in the rider—death must result directly from the accident within a specified timeframe (typically 90 days). Excluded causes typically include suicide, self-inflicted injury, illegal activity, drug or alcohol impairment, and certain high-risk activities. Read the exclusions carefully.

The rider is inexpensive because accidental death represents a small fraction of total deaths—most deaths result from illness. While the concept of doubling coverage sounds appealing, financial planning professionals generally prioritize adequate base coverage for all causes of death rather than disproportionate coverage for accidents.

The ADB rider makes more sense if your base coverage is adequate for natural death but you want additional protection for an accident that might leave your family in more complex circumstances. It is not an efficient substitute for increasing base coverage. Agents in our network can help you evaluate whether the cost of an ADB rider is better spent increasing base death benefit.